We take a look at the contenders to be the next manager of Barnsley following their poor start to the season.
The Tykes are currently second-from-bottom in League One following their 2-1 defeat at Wigan Athletic on Saturday afternoon.
The loss means that Daniel Stendel's side have now gone nine league matches without a win and they are level on points with bottom side Bromley.
The Barnsley fanbase is very much split on social media with plenty of criticism directed at the club's owners, while many are questioning the ability of a manager who led the club to promotion from League One in his first spell.
Nevertheless, the club's hierarchy will be concerned with the team's recent form and the possibility of a relegation battle.
Here are our top five contenders to be the next Barnsley manager in the event that a change is made.
Next Barnsley Manager Contenders
Paul Heckingbottom
Former Barnsley player and manager Paul Heckingbottom was sacked by Championship side Preston North End last month.
Heckingbottom guided Barnsley to promotion from League One via the play-offs in the 2015/16 season.
He departed to take charge of Leeds United in February 2018 and he also has experience of managing in the Premier League with Sheffield United.
Valerien Ismael
Valerien Ismael is another former Barnsley manager who could be a shrewd appointment.
Ismael guided the club to the Championship play-offs in his only season at Oakwell, before departing for West Bromwich Albion in the summer of 2021.
The former Bayern Munich player has been out of work since being sacked by Blackburn Rovers in February.
Darren Ferguson
Darren Ferguson has won promotion three times as a manager at this level, but the immediate challenge at Barnsley would be to drag the club away from the relegation zone.
October 2025 marked the end of his fourth stint at Peterborough United and he remains out of work.
Ferguson would provide a wealth of experience at Barnsley after managing over 850 matches in the football league.
Ryan Lowe
Ryan Lowe remains out of work after leaving Wigan Athletic in February.
His career has stalled somewhat in recent times after initially showing great promise at Bury and Plymouth Argyle.
He will have a point to prove in his next job and Barnsley could represent his best chance to go back in at League One level.
Andy Woodman
The decision by Bromley to sack Andy Woodman is one of the most bizarre EFL sackings in recent memory.
Bromley are playing League One football for the first time in their history, yet Woodman was dismissed just three months into the campaign.
Woodman had guided Bromley into the football league, before clinching the League Two title last season.
